108 LADIES ON HORSEBACK. 



hunting. I held on to my animal when he 

 fell, and regained my seat without very much 

 difficulty, but before I could recover my hold 

 of the bridle he had rushed forward, and my 

 face was terribly punished by the overhanging 

 brambles. 



Be very careful, in this matter of hold- 

 ing on to a fallen animal, not to confound 

 the mane with the rein. By clinging to the 

 former you assist yourself without in the 

 smallest degree impeding the movements of 

 your horse ; by clinging to the latter you 

 seriously interfere with his efforts at recovery, 

 and most probably pull him back upon 

 you. 



And this brings me to the subject of 

 hogging horses' manes. Never, under any 

 circumstances, allow an animal of yours to 

 be 'thus maltreated. Not only is it a vile 

 disfigurement, depriving the horse of Nature's 

 loveliest ornament, but it also deprives the 

 rider of a very chief means of support in 

 case of accident. Many a bad fall have I 

 been saved by clutching firmly at the mane, 

 which an ignorant groom had oft implored 



